My story on How to be a Volunteer - My Volunteering experience for the Olympics for 2002 has all the information on how I volunteered for the Human Resources job.
I finally found the photos from the Grand Opening of the Wall of Honor at Olympic Legacy Plaza. "Team 2002" Volunteers, staff Olympians Apolo Ohno and others met at the Plaza in 2003 for the anniversary of the Olympics. The Wall of Honor had been constructed at the Gateway Plaza Shopping center area of Salt Lake City, Utah.
It was very cold that day. Ice permeated everything!
This story is to let you see the Wall as it was revealed that day!
I got there early with my husband. I had my power wheelchair which I was using full time then.
We waited in the old refurbished Salt Lake City Train Station which was at the end of the line for the SLC "TRAX" Train line.
The staff which were organizing the volunteers got those of us who were volunteers together for some photo ops. One of the staff asked me if I would like to be on top of the wall to unveil the wall tarp!
WOW! So they showed me how to get up on top of the wall with the elevator and the plaza above the wall. The view from the top of the wall is awesome!
It seemed like forever before the program to start because it was so cold. I had my full volunteer uniform on plus the snow pants. And boy did I need those!
The people started to arrive! Mitt Romney and Apolo Ohno with the other pair who were athletes in the 2002 Olympics. Mitt and others were going to be the speakers.
It was very exciting!
Me waiting to help with the unveiling
Here I am all decked out in my Olympic uniform and wow it was so cold, those special snow pants were great to help keep me warm. I was so bundled up I looked like a blue snowman!
There is a great view from the top of the wall. There are other observations towers. This area is also a plaza for the Gateway Shopping center. Besides the wall there is a fountain fed by two water fall stairs. I have a photo of the frozen water in place going down the stairs!
The Wall has many placards on it. The ones on the left side are for the International Olympic Committee [IOC] and other dignitaries who participated in the Olympic organization for 2002. The ones on the right are the 2002 Volunteer staff and SLOC members [Salt Lake Organization Committee].
The area where I am to the left of this photo has all the names of the volunteers like myself. Yes, my name is even there!
Close up of Mitt and the Olympians
Mitt and Olympian Apolo Ohno
These are the cute Mascots - Bear, Fox and Bunny for the 2002 Olympics
"Coal" The Bear Official Mascot for Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Games - 15" - Plush
2002 Salt Lake Olympics Mascot "Copper" The Fox Stuffed Animal Plush by Mattel
Revealing the wall
That is me, the one fourth from the left with the hat on. The perspective of the photo was from the floor of the plaza as my husband took the photos of the event. This is just after the cannons went off spewing all sorts of confetti and streamers!
The volunteers in the crowd
Dang! I wish they would have told us that there were the cannons at our feet! Yikes! that woke me up! After the reveal of the wall there was a party with music and food. We were so cold we only stayed for an hour after the main program.
I got on the stage area where the band was playing so I could sit down where they had some heaters blowing on the performers.
Wall of Honor with my name among 18000 others
My name is on this wall among 18000 + others!
Olympic Park of the Wall of Honor for the 2002 Olympics
Part of the Olympic park in downtown Salt Lake City where the Wall of Honor is located
Teacup ladies at the Wall of Honor
These ladies dressed as what we called the tea cup ladies sang for us! The cutest group were the tea cup ladies all dressed in their red long robes with over sized tea cup hats!
It was not snowing that day, but it was cold and icy with snow and ice on the ground.
The Wall of Honor Unveiling
You can barely see my face and hat as I was in my wheelchair in this photo of the other Volunteers
I am not sure how many people were in attendance, all of the volunteers were invited. After in the unveiling and speeches, there was entertainment.
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10th Anniversary with Mitt and Ann Romney
10th anniversary with Mitt and Ann
I was not able to attend this event, but glad that they had it in honor of all who were involved with the 2002 Olympics. It was held at the Grand Hall in Salt Lake City Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012.
Photo credit and a 2012 Olympic 10th Anniversary News story at this link
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